Foam elimination in reclaiming used oils



1936- w. T. BISSELL FOAM ELIMINATION IN RECLAIMING USED OILS Filed March 11, 1935 [flue/Mal; M7/iam T Bisse/l Attorneys.

FOAM ELINHNATION IN RECLAIMING USED OILS William T. Bissell, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor 1 to Journal Box Servicing Corporation, Indianapolis, 1nd,, a corporation of Indiana Application March 11, 1935, Serial No. 10,445 I 5 Claims.

I This invention relates to the art of reclaiming used journal box waste and particularly relates to means for preventing foaming and loss of oil during the washing process. 5

Reference is made to the copending U. S. ape plication for patent assigned to Journal Box Servicing Corporation, the assignee of the present application, the application bearing the Serial No. 645,222 and filing date of Dec. 1, 1932. In

this application referred to and also in the U. S.

Patent No.1,783,407, the used waste is dropped into one end of a tank containing lubricating oil heated to a temperature above 212,F. A practical operating temperature is 250 F. This waste to be reclaimed is generally collected in steel drums as it is taken from the journal and thus operating conditions.

allowed to accumulate until a considerable number of drums are on hand and then the waste is shipped into a central reclaiming plant. When these drums of waste reach this plant it is found frequentlythat much water has accumulated in the drums, particularly where those drums are allowed to stand in the open without being covered.

It isa primary object of my invention to provide meansfor preventing an excess of water carried by the dirty waste into the wash oil from causing a foaming over of the oil from the wash tank. It is also a primary object of my invention: to thoroughly dry the oil and break down any emulsions that may exist therein due to the introduction of such water and further to break down those water emulsions that may have been produced in the oil in the journal itself under These and other objects and advantages will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of my invention with reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a, fragmentary side elevation of a washing'apparatus to which my invention as.

I applied is shown;'

Fig. 2, a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. l with the waste moving members re- ?moved;

Fig. 3, a vertical transverse section on the line 33 in Fig. l, and

Fig. 4, a vertical transverse section on the line the waste moving members which do not particularly enter into my present invention. The form of the apparatus herein shown is that appearing in the copending application Serial No. 645,222 above referred to and comprises essentially a wash tank I adapted to hold a considerable volume of oil and having a more or less horizontally disposed screen II placed in the upper portion of the tank. This screen I I occupies the major central portion of the tank but room is left on either side thereof for a series of steam pipes I2 as a means for heating the oil to the desired temperature. Also in this tank is a series of steam coils l3 placed at the feeding end of the tank II], that is at that end of the tank into which the dirty waste is introduced. The steam coils I3 from in effect a screen as a continuation of the screen II.

The dirty waste is dropped into the tank I0 over the steam coils I3 which is the hottest part of the oil in the tank. Ordinarily the moisture carried by the waste is evaporated as the waste is fed into the heated oil at this part of the tank since the waste is held in the upper portions of the oil near the surface by the coils I3 and the heat of the 011 causes prompt evaporation of the moisture before the moisture can be carried down into the oil to any considerable depth. Suitable fingers I4 and I5 are employed to move the waste along from over the coils I3 over the screen II where the waste is thoroughly loosened up and so manipulated as to permit a thorough cleansing of it by the wash oil in the tank III. The waste is then carried up out of the wash tank I0 by some suitable conveyor I6.

Where the moisture in the dirty waste is found to be excessive such for example as when the drums have been left open during a heavy rain to allow the water to accumulate in the drums,

the steam coils l3 can not produce enough heat fast enough to completely evaporate the water thus introduced by that waste into the wash oil before the waste and that water is carried on over onto the screen II into the relatively cooler oil. In this situation, this excessive water will then cause the bath oil to start foaming and if not controlled, this foaming will continue until the oil actually foams up and runs over the sides of the tank l0, thereby setting up a hazardous condition as well as causing a loss of the wash oil.

Now in order to prevent such a hazardous condition and the consequent loss, I provide at least one opening I'I, Figs. 1 and 3, in the side of the tank I0 above the normal level of the wash oil so that under ordinary conditions where the coils I3 I :are evaporating the water as fast as it is introduced into the oil, no oil will flow out through However should foaming start throughthe opening H to drop down into a collect'ing box [8 built along the side of the tank. I

' provide a steam pipe l9" in thebottom of' this box l8 so that as the foam drops into the box, it will evaporation of the waterat' once. This box l 8 is provided with a trough at its outlet, here 7 shown as on the forward end ,of the tank ID, to

'Wastereclaiming machine. w I

'g,This pan 2| is provided with a plurality of 'steam pipes 22- placed over its area at the bottom thereof, but inside of the parrso'that when the 7 oil and foam come into thep'anfromtheboxt8, it must flow over and around these pipes- 22 to be subjected to the heat radiated therefrom. By the time the foaming nil 'hasftraversed even :a short length of this pan, due tothe great amount of heat applied to theoil byithese pipes: 22,;the foam disappears and the oilflows on forwardly freeaof moisture to the forward end of the panxfrom where it drains down through the pipe 23- back to the pumpZ l which. lifts the oil backup through the pipe 25" into the tank 10450 as tomai-ntain the (proper: oil level. therein. 1 The level of. the oil in the pan 2:! depends, of course, somewhat upon ling conditionian'd also. breaking down moving the. emulsified state.

the rate. of flow of. the foam. thronghthe opening ll from theltank ltd-but even under the most severe conditiona t-his level the pan 2i :doesnot rise to any-extent above the tops of the pipes 22 ;Thus regardless of the amount of; water intro; duced into the wash oil. in the tank I0, I am able to secure a continuous operation of-the washing of the waste in the; tank it without having to shut down the meehanism dueto foaming, since the foam'feeds offof the tank and is dried out andthe oil returned'as rapidly as the foam is produced,v

' all without materially, atany time,losi-ng the oil level in the tank it andgat the same. time maintaining the major part of the oilin that tank in a dry state. the waste in some instances runs as highas five to 'ten' gallons of water in a fifty gall-0n drum of waste and since the most economical'manner of handling the waste is to dump the Waste directly into theroil, I am able to doso without-any pre .jdrying treatment of the Waste since I can; dry the moisture out-by the highly heatedoil as above:

indicated.

l :The size of the, opening" ll, area of the evape orating pan 2! and size of the drain pipe 23, together with the capacity of the 24 are allf so proportioned as to prevent any excess depth of oil in the pan 2i which would rise appreciably ,7 above'the tops of the pipes 22 therein."

While I have herein shown and described my Invention in the best form as now-known to me,

This excessive amount of water in it is obvious that structural changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim: V a

1. The method of maintaining a substantially constant level of oil in a wash tank" into which water bearing waste is introduced, comprising the step of drawing off foam rising above a predeterfall down onto and around the pipe I9 to start,"

mined level, the step of heating the'foam above 212 to separateanddrive off the moisture from the oil in the foam, and the step of're'turning the dried oil tosaid tank. 7

2. The methods of maintaining a dried state without loss of heated oil in a wash tank into which water bearing waste is introduced which comprises heating to above 212 F. that part of the oilinto which the waste is initially introduced to evaporate moisture before it reaches any considerabie volume of-said oil, drawing 01f at a predetermined level of the tank above the normal level of thew-oil foam'as produced by an excess of moisture entering said volume, heating that foam above 212 FL, spreading the foam out: into relative'ly thin films, collecting the dried oil coming from said films, and returning the dried oil to said tank, 1

' The method of maintaining a dried state without loss'of heated oil in a wash tank into which-water bearing wasteisintroduced which comprises heating to above 212 F; that part of the oil into which the waste is initially introduced to evaporate moisture before it reaches any considerable volume of said oil, drawing -oif at a predetermined level of the tank above the'normal level: of oil "foam as produced byran-excess of moisture entering said volume, heatingtliat foam above 212 spreading'the foam out into rel'atively thin films, collecting the dried oil coming from saidfilms, and returning the dried :oil to said tankgsaid heating of the foam being :while' ina volume, and said films being heated to between 212 and 250 F. V

"4. r The combination with awash tank adapted to hold oil, and a screen in the upper portion thereof, the initial partofthe screen comprising a steam heated coil,of a pan, a steam'coilin the pan, said tank having a discharge opening'at a level above the normal "elevation, of the oil therein, conductingmeans for carrying foam between said opening and said connecting said tank and pan, and oil transfer means between the pan andthe'tankf 7 5. 'Thecombin'ation with a: wash tank adapted to hold oil, means for heating the oil; a screen in the upper 'portion'vof the tank, and a steam coil forming an initial section of'the screen, 'of a box along the tank, a heating element in the box,

said tank having an :opening discharging into the box, said opening being at a level above the nor mal level of the oil'therein, a foam evaporating ryiimg oil from the pan preventing a predetermined increase in oil level therein,,.said.withdrawing means. comprising a pump having its. discharge directed into said tank. a V 

